Echoes in the Rain
by Peppermintcookz
Summary: The Adventures of Vaas, the pirate lord! Sounds like a commercial, but it's not. After his death, he is sent to a world where magic exist and fairies are real. He must choose to redeem himself or live the same way he did on Earth. He will meet great allies, and greater foes, but what will he choose in the end? Love, fear, trust, betrayal and much more in the next chapters!
1. Echoes

_Hey there, reader! It's been a while since I last wrote something and post it here(precisely 3 years), so you should know that my writing and english skills are very,very rusty. Rusty as Pyramid Head's Sword. You know.. the sexy guy from Silent Hill... ? Whatever. :D __So please bear with me and if you have any critique notes and thoughts I will gladly read them. =P_

_Now, about this fan fiction series - Takes place on a far, far away galaxy where magic is available for almost everyone. It has elves, pure-blooded, witches, rainbows, unicorns and fluffy bunnies. With sharp teeth. They eat brains for breakfast. Cute, right? _

_My point is that nothing is always as it seems. Bad is good, and good is bad. Only sometimes is the other way around. Confused already? Good!__Don't worry, we'll go deeper. [Inception fans? Anyone? No?.. :/]_

_The most important thing you should know is that our beloved Vaas is dead. Yes, he is – he was killed by the mother***** Jason .. But don't you worry! Because everybody that dies on Earth is magically transported here on this.. bewitched dimension.. or something. I'll figure it out._

_Oh, and one more thing. In this fanfic series Vaas is going to meet special peop.. creatures that look like human. And they are going to change him a bit. I'll show his soft and caring side. Fear not, he is still the badass pirate lord we all love. You're probably thinking 'What kind of bullshit is that?'.. Well, I cannot tell you for sure, but I think it'll be some good shit. :D_  
_Enjoy!... while you can. *muahaha*_

* * *

**The End.**

_Where do we go when we die? Is it Heaven or Hell ? Is it a twisted mixture of them both? Maybe we just disappear in the thin air or maybe we're reborn as humans and animals. Who knows? The point of no return - no one came back from it to tell.  
__Though the body dies, the spirit lives. It may roam freely between the living and the dead - a lifeless soul with a wondering existence. But still - it lives. _

These are some of the thoughts that came across Vaas' mind. Wonders of life, don't you think? Death is only part of our world, but what does come after that? An _emotion_ - like the feeling of warmth and happiness? Or is it pain and endless agony? Maybe _memories_ are what comes in the afterlife. But just like old photos they turn to gray ashes. With that. our essence ends.

Suddenly a strong pain in the chest. Wounds. _'Right.. Jason. Fight. I lost. I am... dead?'_

Vaas could not move, speak, hear or see anything. It was pitch black. He was sure of it. He was aware of the darkness around him. Consuming his mind and his whole being. He was waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel - or at least that's what 99% of the people thought dying was.

_'How did this happen? Is that it? I was crushed so easily.. I can't believe it. I don't accept it!'_ But after all.. he was just a mere human.  
Suddenly he felt warm. _'Blood.'_ he thought. But it wasn't that red liquid that unfroze him from the death sleep. It was a glowing jungle. Just like the one on his island. The difference is that this wilderness had purple colors and tones.

Vaas rose up, but he knew he wasn't actually standing and walking. It was his inner spirit, moving him towards something. _'I mean.. I'm dead. I can't walk. Either that or I took a major overdose this time.'  
_It wasn't the drugs that kept him going through the jungle - it was his determination and curiosity. He found his way around the amethyst trees and bushes, finally to **the end**. There he found his mind - it resembled a huge human skull with cracks in it. From the mouth, between the sharp teeth, a violet oil spilled. It was glowing like everything else. Vaas went closer to it, he touched it.

A strong wind brought change to the scenery - purple ink formed a wall around the dead man and shone, blinding him. When he adjust his eyes to the light he saw the past. **His past**. There was his village and parents, his sister Citra - their betrayal. Soon after came Hoyt with all the promises of freedom, power and wealth. It blinded Vaas, but just like moments ago, he could adapt to it. And he did. He did cocaine and heroin, killing and kidnapping - all these things ruined his life. No! They broke him. They made him a twisted monster, living in a dying world, climbing high over the dead bodies. He could feel them beneath him - when he looked at their faces, he saw his own reflection.

And after all this what did he have, huh? _'What the FUCK did I get?!' _a painful scream broke the deadly silence. And everything disappeared. The memories, the pain in his chest, the grief in his soul. He could feel water on his cheeks. Little drops of hope falling on his face - it was the rain. He felt it so purifying and clean - like a magical rain that would wash away all his sins and bad deeds. All foul memories and feeling would disappear. He could start fresh, yeah, he could do it. . . _'But who would accept me?'_  
Soon after the darkness rose once again, demolishing everything in it's way.

* * *

**Restart.**

**- **_Hey, do you think he's alive?_  
_- Well he should be.. I mean, he looks like a human from that planet Earth. You know.. when they die, sometimes they teleport here to continue with their life and redeem themselves? You haven't heard of this?_  
_- Nah, dude, I'm just a gardener, I know more about plants than human myths._  
- _Man, it's not a myth. It's the truth! I'm tellin' you! … Wait, what? You're a gardener? Why no one told me, man – we were sent as guardian scouts, we must protect these places from bad spirits you know… And you tell me NOW that you're a gardener?! Well then we're doomed…_  
_- Chill dude, I got this.. Why don't we just move the body somewhere else. It's too obvious here. And I think he's dead._  
_- Now you sound like a killer-gardener. I mean it's weird.. why do you want to move him? He might be alive…_  
While the two men argued about Vaas being alive or dead, the pirate stood up and quietly left the scene. Yeah, just like that. It's a true miracle!

Soon enough, he found out he had no guns.. _'I fucking swear I should have killed them with my bare hands!'_  
_'Fuckin' cocksuckers! Talking bullshit and stuff..'_ The man thought to himself, cursing a lot. He could feel a little irritating pain in his neck and head, but that didn't stop him moving. While looking around he found out that this wasn't his island. The forest was somehow different and strangely new to him. With the same curiosity from his lucid dream, Vaas continued along the path ahead of him.

When he saw a giant old tree, he climbed so he could see where he was heading. Among the highest branches a mohawk appeared. After that a head, and then the body of the pirate. The sight in front of him was breathtaking - long rivers, multi colored trees, high and mighty mountains, lakes and somewhere in the distance - a colossal palace so bright it could compete with the Sun.

_'Looks like Taj Mahal, but it isn't.' _The man was sure of it. India was very different from where he was standing now - the flora was acceptable, not really but _meh_, and what about the animals.. Vaas looked around, looking for birds, but he couldn't find any. Then a strong wind hit him from behind. It was an unusual blast out of the nowhere. And just like that it disappeared. When he opened his eyes, the pirate finally saw an animal - _enormous, spiky, flying, FUCKING DRAGON!  
_

_'WHAT THE... ?!' _beyond speechless, Vaas' eyes widened as he looked at the already gone in the nearness dragon._  
'Definitely an overdose!' _was the only conclusion he could make at that moment._  
_

* * *

_That's all for now folks, tell me if you like it and I'll write moar. :D_

_Let me give you a little hint for the next chapter - wild creatures, Vaas running, sexy chick and a mighty warrior. And confusion. Confusion everywhere. ^^Bye-bye, ta-ta. See you later. x3  
_


	2. Fading memory

_Heya!^^ Vaas is back for some action [or maybe not] and he's going to meet some magical creatures. So let me explain:_

_Nymphs – their bodies are entirely made out from the five great elements(water,earth,fire,air,energy). The energy could be dark and light – of course when they are light nymphs they are good, make you happy and careless. On the contrary, the dark nymphs are quite dangerous and evil, but their lack of power make them vulnerable and weak[the only tricks they could do are childish – big pimple on your nose, bad breath, rotten nails and etc. Nothing serious.^^]_  
_But most of them represent freedom, joy and fluffy cute little stuff. And yes, they are only female nymphs._

_Druids – Only males here, but not good-looking. When they are in their humanoid state they look like a wooden figure, around 2 metres high[6.5ft], no eyes and branches instead of limbs. When they sense danger they turn into trees – and then they are mostly exposed. They are cowards and for a good reason – their wooden skin is the best in all dimensions – it's used for furnitures, spells, clothes and make up. It's so desirable because it's everlasting and indestructible._

_Kamethians – mossy skeletons, usually passive, slowly walking creatures. Walking isn't the right verb though, more like dragging their bones. Yeah, like that. They don't attack when they are alone, but when their number increase so does the strength. Don't be fooled. Just because their skulls are empty, doesn't mean they are stupid. The green glowing moss on their body, khem, I mean corpses is like a fuel to them. Once in the Year of Life[repeatedly in ten years], they gather from all around the globe in one single place – the Lake of Kamet. If you, by any chance happen to be there at that time.. I feel sorry for you._

_On with the story! :D  
Almost forgot - I don't own anything. Except Kamet, maybe. He's my new pet. xD  
_

* * *

**Water, Wood and Fire.**

_Come forth into the light of things and let nature be your teacher._

The dragon wasn't the only thing that fascinated Vaas. Soon enough he noticed strange things that shouldn't exist or happen – floating fluids in the air(turns out they are women) and some trees that actually weren't trees. They formed into a man-shaped creature with no eyes, and branches instead of arms. But nothing strange in that..Vaas decided to give them proper names – _water chicks_ and _wooden dudes_. Of course, he wasn't aware that their names were nymphs and druids, but.. that's not important.

'_These drugs are fuckin' awesome! I should congratulate Dr. Earnhardt. Maybe I will stop torturing him for a month. Nah, that's way too much. A week is okay, I guess._' Fortunately or not, the pirate didn't understand the present world – he accepted it as an illusion, a fake realm, which he can explore. And so he did.

Montenegro remembered the view from the old tree he climbed and set up on a journey to the palace – it was the only logical thing he could do for now. He created a virtual map in his head from his place to the castle – there was a green glowing **lake** ahead, then a rainbow-colored **tree** going up in the sky, next there was something red and pulsing in the **forest**, quite big though, and behind it - a huge** river**. After that comes a **desert**ed area with sand and who knows what and in the end there is a big **cave** that leads straight to the **château**.

_'Man, if dragons exist why can't I just fucking teleport to the castle? It ain't fair.'_

Vaas walked around the wilderness what seems forever and the sun was still up in the skies, shining brighter than ever. The pirate couldn't sense the heat nor he could feel tired. But he should be. The man knew he was walking in circles. Like a madman. Was he insane?

'_Uh,.. doing the exact.. same fucking thing..Yeah. I'm not fucking crazy. I just **did not**__ walk around this area like 50 fucking times, okay! Mumbo-jumbo..I'm a survivor. I can do this._' Vaas started humming destiny's child song, while he went deep within the jungle. '_I can find the stupid lake. I bet it's just around the corner._'

So it was.. along with hundreds of **kamethians**. Ready to sacrifice him and feast upon his human flesh.  
Sounds scary, right? The strangest thing is that they didn't even pay attention to Vaas. The skeletons were so astonished at the sight of the young woman, which was..

'_Wait, what? What's that chick doing up there?_' and by up, Vaas meant really up. Like pinned to a tree in the middle of the lake, ready to be eaten alive or burnt like a witch. Maybe she was one.  
The pirate lord didn't know what to do. He has experience with wildlife animals, but these freaks weren't just your tiger homies. They looked small and vulnerable, but if Vaas learned something from the life on his island it was this – Don't be deceived by the appearance. So he just stood there, watching, waiting something interesting to happen.

Not long after that, a huge wave emerged from the acid lake. It was alive. Beneath the surface, you could see a purple eye looking at you. Into you and your soul. Of course, if you have one. The wave took the form of a … _giant dick_? With teeth on his head. No, wait. His head _WAS_ teeth. Sharp as hell. It's eyes were all around its body. This monster screeched and the earth beneath Vaas' feet trembled.

The kamethians bowed down to him and began chanting. '_Kamet_, _Kamet_, _Kamet, __Kamet__'_

The chant went on and on, repeating, over and over again.

'_Insane skeletons. Fucking insane!_' But Vaas wasn't sure if he is not the one who is going crazy. 'Till now he had fun and thought all of this was the work of drugs. But was it really? He doubted. And then he doubted the doubt.

While the pirate lord thought about the essence of human thinking, the mind itself and Rene Descartes' rules for the direction of the mind, the monster took out his huge.. tongue-thingy and licked the maiden's body, which melted after the lick. Then another screech. That interrupted Vaas and his deep thoughts, suddenly making him angry.

'_AH! FUCK! You fuckin' stupid dick! Shut the fuck up! I can't think straight because of your squawking!_'

At the beginning there was silence. Slowly, but surely the monster and it's skeleton minions traced the origin of the sound. Among the silver bushes stood Vaas with his angered face and clenched fists.

Now fully exposed, Vaas made a few moves, so he could get out of the bushes and while that happened the creatures just blankly stared at him. They were like '_Why would you ruin our perfect ritual? We were so happy with our master._' They almost looked like puppies, but not that cute. Just the puppy eyes thing.  
Suddenly the mood changed. They hissed and roared like beasts, their teeth and nails grew sharp and deadly. Like a legions of hell, the kamethians formed an army and went against Vaas. He wasn't sure what to do. After all, he tought this was the work of the drugs – dragons, lake monsters, moving skeletons. It can't be true. All of this is **fake**.

He recalled the fight with Jason – he also remembered the pain in the chest, his vivid dream and the purple jungle from his dreams. But was it really a dream? Some people say that if you die or get killed in your dream you wake up. '_And what if.. What if this is the reality, huh?_' With every thought of Vaas the space between him and the monsters got narrower. The man chose to think of this realm as a _hallucination_ – there he can do whatever the hell he wants. '_Right?_' He wasn't sure, but..

In the distance - a thunder. Seconds later – another one, coming closer. Then again. And one more. The last one struck the army of skeletons, formed a lightning ball at the centre of the lake and exploded, dismembering the kamethians and their master. Sharp bones flew in every direction. One of them stabbed Vaas in the stomach, another - in the leg. He knew he was badly hurt, for he felt the taste of pain. But not in the wounded areas. He sensed his whole body _electrified_, as if little needles penetrate him. He felt being _dragged_. His vision smudged, his body growing weak. Now the pirate couldn't feel a thing. Just a **fading memory** of agony and misery.

The last thing he saw was a flame. Only one. Red like blood. Spilling all over him. Pulling Vaas closer to itself. He could smell it. He could touch it, taste it's texture. Then he saw a hand reaching out to him.

After that.. darkness.

* * *

_I'm so sorry! I promised you something different and I failed to keep my promise.. I'm sorry. It's just that I can't skip to the part when Vaas meets a super hot alien chick, they make out, the bad guys are defeated and happiness is in the air. We need a little story, some strange things happening, monsters and of course mystery at the end of every chapter, so you could become addicted. _  
_I have so many ideas. I feel like my mind is going to explode. The worse part is that I can't put the ideas into words. My English is bad. I could try writing the chapters in my language and then translate them with google, but that would be epic mistake. :D_

_Ah, I hope you like it. I know it's boring to read, because there's not much action, but soon there will be. See ya, guys. ;33  
One more thing - if you don't like all that fantasy stuff [I mean the history of the creatures and the races] just tell me. I won't write them. I will only mention their names and nothing more. I hope it's not a burden for you, but anyways - **I want to know**! Because in the next chapters [who I think will be around 90] there are some important things to be noted._

_Bye-bye, ta-ta. :333_


	3. Deadly Temptation

_Maenads – unpredictable, violent and mighty fighters. They will not hesitate to kill you. They enjoy torturing others and are extremely dangerous. The maenads are known for their merciless, their brutal ways of killing and mostly – their rituals. When a female is about to become a maenad or she wants to have a descendant, she takes a part of this rite – an orgy with men from different species. After the sexual act, all men are killed in a horrific way. The most powerful mixture of races is a maenad with a dark elf – the children are known as succubus and incubus [demonic creatures that seduce people and devour their souls] Often these female warriors are called Black Widows or Mantises [respectfully called after the spider and the praying mantis, which are known for their sexual cannibalism.]_

_Morning elves – an ancient and recently decreased race. It is said that in the beginning of all things there were four sister, each of them representing the times of the day. _The First One_, called Awake (Aw-ah-khe) symbolises the dawn and the early stage of everything. She is the morning. She is also the ancestor of these elves._

The Second_, named Brigh(Bre-gh), is in fact the most radiant moment in the endlessness. She is the mother of the Galaxy Children, or as we humans know them – the stars._

_Then there was _the third sister_, called Eve(Eh-vhe). It is known that her mind was always in the clouds, so to speak. She is often dreaming, because she believes that the inner spirit is much more important than the body._

The last of them_, Naits (Nights) is the darkness itself. She is responsible for the Chaos – a great tragedy, which occurred in the dawn of the races. It is described as an explosion in time, causing the sisters to die and fall into little pieces. The fourth sister trade her soul and power for the chance to be with her loved one (said to be mortal). That led to catastrophic consequences – destroying entire dimensions, erasing every living thing and creating gaps in time and space, which are filled with alternative galaxies. But it is also the reason for the birth of some of the most powerful species. This myth leaves so many questions that is almost never mentioned in history books._

_Lagars (Lag-haars) – monstrous lizards and blood thirsty too. They are hunters – extremely stealth, patient and observing predators. When they are given the opportunity, they will play with their victim. Height: around 2.5 metres. Weight: enough to break the shit out of you. Abilities: hard-lizard like skin, reflecting almost any kind of magic. Sharp teeth ordered in a giant mouth, ready to devour you anytime. Enormous tail with a pointy end (like a thick needle). And of course beautiful manicure – strong razors for nails._

* * *

**Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem.**

**[Blessed is he who endures temptation]**

Rain. He could feel it on his skin. Caressing it, kissing it. He embraced it like it was a part of him.

But Vaas could sense that this rain is different from the others. It was not real. And it was definitely not water, dripping from above – it was red and sticky. Was this blood? Within the blink of an eye, Vaas was on fire, incinerating everything covered in the fluid. He then became ashes.

_'Ah, fuck!'_ A thick layer of sweat wrapped the shaking body of Vaas. Nasty way to wake up.

_'Where the hell am I?'_ The man stood up and looked around – he was lying until now on a clean simple bed. The room he was in, seemed to be a medical chamber. There were syringes everywhere, bandages, ointments and also strange writings on a big white board. Don't forget the systems, the needles and the monitors with heart rate.

While Vaas wandered around, he heard footsteps – very fast and somehow small, like a cat running. The man took a lancet(though he wished he had an RPG) and braced himself up, for he had nowhere to hide. The rusty door opened slowly making screech sounds. A young girl entered the room, looking suspicious in every direction as if she was being followed.

She firmly closed the entrance and leaned against it. Vaas was still holding his 'weapon' not knowing if she was a threat or not. The maiden looked fragile and scared. Long red hair fell around her shoulders like a frame, making her face look like a painting. Green piercing eyes met Vaas'. The girl was panting, her body shaking like a leaf.

_'I won't fucking hurt you if you tell me everything I need to know.'_ The pirate took the advantage of the frightened lady and made a few steps forward. She stared at him, her face expression changing from fear to a calm state. She laughed quietly.

_'I know you won't hurt me.'_ her soft voice was like honey for his ears. The girl stood up and came closer to Vaas, about half metre away from him.

_'Oh, yeah? What makes you think that way?'_ he grinned, showing his teeth like a predator. Most women were afraid of him. What is so different about this one? He will make her scream for mercy and before he kills her, he will play a little game. Yes, she was beautiful, but that doesn't mean a thing to him. She's a spoiled cunt just like the others. Sooner or later she is going to beg for her life, crying like a bitch.

_'Well, I assume, and correct me if I'm wrong, that you don't have any idea where are we, you don't know what to expect when you walk through this door, nor you know what to do on this planet. So I'm your best chance of survival. And you don't want to kill me exactly because of that.'_ The girl just stood there, smiling in front of Vaas, showing no sign of fear.

_'I've seen worse.'_

_'I don't doubt that..'_ she nodded and pointed with her finger the scar on Vaas' face._ 'Quite the beast you fought.'_

The man lowered his weapon and touched his scar. He knew this girl wouldn't make anything stupid or at least he wanted to think that way. What was wrong with him? He was too trustful and somehow..naive. Fuck. Something was really out-of-order.

Then it hit him. He was **sober**. The man was constantly on drugs, so he almost forgot what it felt to be sober again. Rational thinking, no cursing and awfully boring.

_'What's your name?'_ the red-haired girl broke the silence with her simple question. He looked at her, blinking a lot as if he didn't understand her. Moments after he answered.

_'Vaas. And yours?'_

_'I'm Brida Samro. I'm a morning elf. You are.. human, right?'_

_'Look, chica, I'd fuckin love to chat with you, but aren't we going to get the fuck out of here?_' Vaas could feel almost claustrophobic. He wondered if this girl is going to lead him to a trap. But he had nothing to lose – after all he died once, who cares if it happens a second time. Even though he followed Brida he didn't trust her. The man felt like he was being watched and the whole place made him feel uncomfortable.

They went through the door, entering a giant hall (which looked a lot like the Sistine Chapel in Vatican) with strange electrical pillars and black curtains. There were only 3 doors – two small on right and left, and of course one in the middle, the biggest one.

_'Great, now where do we go?'_ Vaas' voice was too loud and it echoed.

_'Shhh, keep your voice down! They could hear us..'_

_'Who are they?'_ This time he whispered, following her across the big room. They were heading to the little door at the far left end of the hall.

_'All you need to know is that they are the bad guys.'_ The woman activated her stealth mode and tried to be extremely quiet. Vaas just walked around like a boss, but after she looked at him with her_ 'I'm going to cut your balls off if you don't do as I say'_ face, he changed the position of his body, mimicking her. It was only a game for him.

_'Mm, yeah? How do I know you're not one of them? And don't tell me you're just helping me, cause I ain't buying that shit. You could be leading me to a fucking trap.'_

_'Then why did you come with me?'_ the girl stopped, now facing Vaas, pinning him like a dead butterfly with her emerald eyes. Their faces were really close and he could feel her breath on his skin. It was sweet. Maybe too sweet, because he could feel his head spinning. He stepped back and increased the distance between them. Before he could answer anything, the door in the middle opened and two lizard-like men came into the hall. They were sniffing and apparently looking for something.. or someone.

The pirate and the girl hid quickly behind one of the giant black curtains. They were quiet. Brida pushed Vaas behind her, as if to protect him. She observed the movements of the monsters, so she could know what to do. The red-haired knew what these beasts were capable of. They would rip them apart in seconds. Especially the human. He was so weak and fragile to her. Like a baby.

The lagars wandered around the perimeter, checking the 2 doors closer to them, not noticing the room, from which Vaas came out. A female voice broke the silence:

_'Mahiyo, Degars – come here at once!'_ they obeyed the order, leaving this hall safe for the escape of Vaas and Brida. The woman and the man didn't wait too long to leave their hiding place – it was dangerous but it was their best chance. They rushed as fast as they could to get to their point of interest – the left door. So close, yet so far. Both of them managed to reach it. So what was the problem then?

Well, probably the guards that were waiting at the other end of the same door.

_'FUCK!'_ Vaas tried to escape their grip, but they were too powerful. This time it wasn't the lizards. It was like a shadow with an armor. It looked dangerous, so after he got beaten up, the pirate quit trying to escape.

He and Brida were taken to the biggest room at the centre of the hall. It was like a ritual chamber – in the middle there was a giant stage with satin blankets and fluffy pillows. It was like a bed. You could say it's cute until you notice the thousand corpses, lying on the floor like drunkmen. On the walls were hanged not paintings, but weapons and torture devices.

On top of that, there was an audience, placed on a second floor with a perfect view. It was like a theater. The main actress was a red-haired naked female, surrounded by at least 20 men ready to reproduce with her. They all looked different. But that doesn't matter, because after they finish, in the sexual way, she stabs them with a knife. The most strange about this is that these men keep coming to her. Like they are not afraid of death.. or maybe they are under a spell. After all.. this woman was very attractive.

Brida and Vaas just stood there, in front of it all, watching with disgust and maybe astonishment. They were still held by the shadow guardians and didn't dare to move.

_'What the hell is this?'_ Vaas could not stop looking at the scene. Even though there were guts and limbs flying around him, he just kept watching.

_'This is a rite.'_ On the contrary, Brida looked in other direction, just to ignore what happened at the stage.

_'Yeah, I can see that.'_ The pirate was like tranced, like a zombie. He just can't stop watching!

_'Then why do you ask such a question?'_

_'I don't understand it. Why do these men go to her, when they know they will die? Is she a fucking witch or something? You know.. she looks like you.'_ Vaas finally broke the connection that formed between him and the 'theater'. He moved his head slowly so he could see Brida. He saw guilt and anger in her eyes.

_'Don't say that!'_ the girl closed her eyes in despair, as if she was ashamed of herself. _'I don't want to be like her…'_ the last sentence was nearly spoken, it just came out as a whisper, filled with agony.

**All men were dead.** Well, to be precise, not all – Vaas was still alive. So the woman, covered in blood, came to him, facing him fully naked, grinning like the devil. With every step she made towards the pirate, he could feel more and more attracted to this insane killer.

Now, standing really close to him, she ran her finger across his scar, his cheeks, his lips. Montenegro looked at her face – it was beautiful, like nothing he had seen before. Rose red lips, skin color like a sweet milk, and her eyes, oh her eyes – melting gold. He could get lost inside them. It was a strange experience for Vaas, for he did not know what to do. Should he fight this temptation? If he didn't he will end like all the others.. Maybe he will not.

Slowly he felt like he was loosing his mind. The shadows let him go, but the only direction he saw was towards that woman in blood. His steps were small and heavy, as if he was trying to fight with this sexual and most definetly _deadly_ offer. He could hear something._ 'HEY!' 'Don't go!' _a voice cried out.

Everything was blurry while only the woman was perfectly clear, so he did the one thing he could do – Vaas went to the witch, taking her in his arms, pressing his lips against hers. The hands of the pirate – they explored every little detail of that naked body. The red-haired ripped his top, unzipped his pants and pushed him on the big bed.

Oh, the feelings he felt. He could just stay there forever, on this bed. It was so comfortable, so soft. You can just peacefully die here._ '…will die!'_, _'hey, listen to my voice! You will die! Vaas, get out of there!'_

The desperate calls came from Brida. She didn't want to lose him. He was important to her, because he was a human. The girl didn't want to abuse or take advantage him. She just wanted to know a normal person and she saw that in Vaas. Yes, he was rude. He was scary and maybe a little insane.

But he was a human. A being that represent the wonders of life – joy, freedom, trust, love. She wanted to know what it felt like to have a friend, a lover. And it wasn't only about Vaas. She felt such a deep love for all humans. If she just knew how wrong she was about them. In the stories she read no one mentioned the wars, the kills and the hate, the chaos. Soon, she found out how the world spun. Brida didn't like it. In fact, she hated it. So she preferred to stay in the fairytale of her dreams, so that way she doesn't get hurt.

If this man dies, all her hopes will too. The girl tried one last time using all her will and power:

_'Vaas, please if you could hear me, fight this! I know it's tempting, I know it feels right, like you belong there – but it's just an illusion. It is a lie, it's fake! Don't look with your eyes for they will deceive you. Don't trust your senses, they don't know anything about this world. Just open your heart and you will se..'_

_'Die, you bitch!'_ Somehow, while Brida was too concentrated on her speech to Zombie-Vaas, the real one broke free from the spell and managed to stab the witch with her knife. The cut was a real piece of art – the end of the blade came out of her forehead, the middle was somewhere between her insides(eyes,nose,mouth) and the handle of the knife was stabbed in the chin.

Brida's jaw hit the floor. She couldn't believe he did this on his own, without her outside help.

_'Hey, you fucker, let go of her!'_ Taking the weapon, he used to kill the wicked witch, Vaas now pointed it at the shadow warrior.

_'He won't do it..'_ the girl said, trying to get out of this beast's grip._ '..but you can help me by cutting its hands off.'_

Done. But there was something disturbing in this turn of events. Why wasn't that guard moving, and even the audience at the second floor. They looked fake. Was this an illusion too?

_'Hey!' _Vaas grabbed Brida and faced her, his eyes burning with desire. Desire to know what the fuck was going on._ 'You should really tell me what this bullshit is.'_

The maiden was a little surprised from his reaction, but she knew how he felt. Confused and betrayed. After all she went through all of this by herself. No one to ask, no answers either. All alone.

_'This was a ritual in which the woman, or the so-called maenads, have sex with men from different species. The point is to conceive a baby from one of them, who is the strongest and then kill them all.'_ Brida took a deep breath. _'This rite is also an amusement for the audience as you can see. It..'_ she looked at the second floor where men and women stood frozen _'... and these men that died. They are all under the .. spell of this woman. That's why they keep coming. It is nearly impossible to break free. But you managed to do it. It's a great achievement.'_

Brida looked kind of sad. Vaas could never tell how or why she switched her emotions and face expressions so swiftly.

_'Why weren't you under her spell? And why the fuck are they frozen like that, huh?'_

_'The guardians are her slaves so they will do whatever she says, but as you can see she can't speak right now. As for the audience. It's under her spell.'_ A smile shined on Brida's face as if she was talking about sunshine and rabbits.

_'When will this spell end?'_ Vaas got a little curious. He had the luxury to ask questions for he was the one holding the weapon and he was the one that killed that witch.

_'When the woman dies.'_

_'She's dead.'_

_'She's not.'_

_'I just fucking cut her brains out and you're telling me she's alive?!'_

_'Yep, pretty much. And she will wake up eventually. I really don't want to be here when that happens. So what do you say we take off?'_

_'Do I look like a fucking plane to take off?'_

_'Kinda. With that strange haircut.'_ Brida laughed at the face of Vaas. It was a mixture of surprise and anger.

_'Well, I like my hair that way, thank you very fucking much.'_

The man and the woman walked out of the cursed place, their silhouettes fading into the darkness. But there was light in it. The light of hope. They hoped, they will never have to return here again. Oh, how wrong they were.

* * *

_Well, this is a long one. I hope you like my stupid fantasy fan ficition. ^^'_  
_If you are interested how the four sisters looked like you can google alphonse mucha - times of the day. It's a really beautiful painting. Be sure to check it out. _  
_About the next chapter - Brida and Vaas are in the middle of nowhere, they have no money, and no way to connect to the normal civilization. Two organisations are chasing them - the angered maenads and the alien pirates. What will our heroes do? Will they survive? Find out in the next episode of... 'Vaas and friends'. Sounds like a comedy, but it's not. xD_


End file.
